I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever needed to write anything in cursive that wasn't for school, church, or relatives so old they remember when Hawaii and Alaska weren't states yet. None of my employers have ever wanted things in cursive, and quite a few have actually complained about things written in cursive.

Cursive is the Buggy Whip Manufacturer of the written word. It was developed in the era of quill pens when taking the pen from the page meant more chance of breaking your quill. It's not really relevant these days.

Why don't they teach cursive anymore? Penmanship got me a job once. Went to a job fair, filled out a bunch of applications, got call backs from each company with which I filed. Each and everyone one of them mentioned that I was one of the few that they could actually read.

I like hearing this. I'm in the opposite camp, I write in cursive all the time, my printing is atrocious-can't draw a straight line. It's like how a stammerer can sing without affect. Plus, I find cursive for me is quicker than printing and I prefer it to typing as a pen facilitates layouts and drawing diagrams. I don't understand when people use a laptop to take notes. If you're just trying to use it as a dictation tool just record it.

CeroX:I was going to ask if the grandparents were German... It looks rather nazi... just sayin...

As I've said, it's basically the cursive pendant to printed blackletter, which seems indelibly associated with the Nazis. Which is kinda strange, as it's been in use since the Gutenberg bible and the Nazis actually abolished it. (Allegedly because of its - non-existing - Jewish roots, but mostly because Hitler didn't like it and thought that using the Latin script makes it easier to establish a cultural hegemony)

/Can't write cursive to save my life nowadays, but maybe it *does* help develop hand-eye coordination in (other) children//Although you might as well teach a drawing class then

yukichigai:Is she also the founder of the Sanskrit and Telegraph Clubs?

I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever needed to write anything in cursive that wasn't for school, church, or relatives so old they remember when Hawaii and Alaska weren't states yet. None of my employers have ever wanted things in cursive, and quite a few have actually complained about things written in cursive.

Cursive is the Buggy Whip Manufacturer of the written word. It was developed in the era of quill pens when taking the pen from the page meant more chance of breaking your quill. It's not really relevant these days.

While you are at it whipping people, have you ever written anything in another language? Like say, Japanese? They have their standards too. Cursive and "proper Engrish" taught me to have my own flair, that is, someone personal knows I didn't pick some generic cutsey font on my computer and print out xmas cards. You knew it came from me.